Nigeria: Govt, ASUU Sign MOU to End Five-Month Strike

The federal government and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will end the over five-month-old face-off between both parties.

The MoU was signed in the presence of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), five Vice Chancellors including those of Universities of Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Bayero University, Kano, as well as the executive secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) and the former Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Details of the MoU were not readily made available to newsmen, but the ASUU president, Dr Nasir Fagge Isa disclosed that the agreement captured the main areas of the union's demands including the deposit of N200 billion in a dedicated account with Central Bank of Nigeria, the non-victimisation clause and infrastructural development among others.

An elated supervising minister of education, Barr Nyesom Wike described the occasion as 'historic' and the happiest day in his tenure as a supervising minister.

According to Wike, "all contending issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties. We are partners in progress and there is no victor, no vanquished as our struggle is in the interest of the country."

The minister expressed government's appreciation to all stakeholders that contributed to the resolution of the crisis.

Responding, the ASUU president assured that the union would consult with its National Executive Council and within one week, communicate with Nigerians on their decision which he believed would be positive.

Meanwhile, the NLC has described the signing of the MoU between the federal government and ASUU as a good development.

NLC Head of Information Department, Comrade Benson Upah told LEADERSHIP on telephone that the union was pleased that students who had been at home for the last five months would finally return to school.

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